Corporate

January 19, 2018

After stops in New York and Los Angeles, Instagram sensation Museum of Ice Cream opened in San Francisco in September at historic 1 Grant Avenue; the exhibit’s run has been extended through February 2018. There are 10 sweets-theme immersive installations to explore at the museum, including a magical candy garden and a sprinkle pool. The tour includes a “scoop of the week” from California ice cream companies such as Salt & Straw. Private tours are available for as many as 20 guests. The museum also opened in Miami’s Faena District in mid December.

Photo: Katie Gibbs

Adrenaline-seeking groups in Las Vegas can head to the SpeedVegas racetrack for the new “Thrill and Chill” package. Groups of as many as 14 people can rent 14 exotic cars such as Porsches and take over the track for 114 minutes. SpeedVegas can also set up a post-drive cocktail reception inside the racing complex. The package costs $14,000 for a group of 14.

Photo: Courtesy of SpeedVegas

Appropriate for teambuilding, client appreciation trips, or conference breakouts, Los Angeles-based experiential event company Mystery Trip creates customized adventures for groups of all sizes. The company plans excursions to offbeat and undiscovered places in a city—but guests only learn what they’re doing once they arrive. Previous clients have included Google, Facebook, and NBCUniversal, and groups have done things such as learn breakdancing and curling, create a flash mob, or travel to sumo-wrestling championships. Prices vary but start at $175 per person; the price includes transportation, activities, meals, and prizes, but excludes alcohol. Mystery Trip can plan adventures throughout the United States.

Photo: Joshua Blanchard

Cook Space, a new culinary studio and event space in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, offers a variety of chef-led classes, from a five-week Culinary Confidence Series to one-off offerings like Brunch Breakdown, Everything Apples, and New Orleans Cuisine. The instructors encourage students to experiment—without using a recipe—and attendees learn the entire cooking process from prep to plating. Afterward, dinner and drinks are served in the dining room. The venue can accommodate private culinary instruction, dinner and cocktail parties, teambuilding workshops, and more. Fees range in price, depending on the group and overall event concept. For private culinary instruction for groups of as many as 14, the cost is $2,400 for 12 guests (and $200 per each additional head). The option includes a three-course seasonal menu, plus seasonal decoration.

Photo: Courtesy of Cook Space

Debuted this past fall, Austin-based Twisted Texas Tour offers two ways to explore the capital city: its Comedy City Tour and the Live Music & Brewery Tour. During the two-hour comedy tour, guests learn about Austin history in between skits and musical numbers; on the three-hour brewery tour, guests travel to two local breweries for tastings and a behind-the-scenes look at the city’s craft beer industry. Pricing for the comedy tour is $35 per person; for groups of 10 or more, it’s $30 per person. The brewery tour costs $55 per person; for groups of 10 or more, it’s $50 per person.

Photo: Ben Porter

As a cheeky homage to its past, the Watergate Hotel in Washington recently introduced its “Spy Package” for group meetings. The two-day package features on-theme activities, including a top-secret dossier upon check-in, a tour of the property, and a visit to the International Spy Museum. The starting rate is $18,000 for a group of 15, including two-night stays.

Photo: Ron Blunt

Toronto catering company Daniel et Daniel, which creates custom menus for events based on selections from its seasonal collections, recently introduced new items for fall/winter 2017 and spring/summer 2018. For fall, the company introduced smoked sablefish with pistachio picada, roast grape, and carrot veloute; and smoked lamb chops with eggplant puree and jalapeño pesto. The 2018 collection features a king oyster mushroom “scallop” with strawberry salsa. Pricing is available upon request.

Photo: Courtesy of Daniel et Daniel

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando has a new dining experience for groups. Guests dine on six courses of global cuisines presented by the resort’s executive chef, while high-definition screens play videos of the regions with accompanying music. Plus, each course is paired with wine or cider.

Photo: Eric Dean

Biscuit-Making

Homemade biscuits are a traditional Southern treat, and the Restoration Hotel in Charleston has created a teambuilding activity around this indulgence. Guests take a short trip to Callie’s Charleston Biscuits for a hands-on biscuit-making class.

Photo: Chris McEnriry

Oyster Farming Lesson

At Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club on Cape Cod, groups can do a guided tour of oyster farms and learn about aquaculture.

Photo: Jonathan Manrique

Line dancing

Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, which bills itself as “the world’s largest honky tonk,” offers group workshops to learn traditional Texas line dances such as the Fort Worth Shuffle and the West Coast Swing.

Photo: Courtesy of Billy Bob's Texas

Glass Blowing

Tacoma, Washington, is known as the heart of the art glass movement. Hotel Murano, a short distance from the Museum of Glass, has partnered with the Tacoma Glassblowing Studio to create a glass-blowing experience for meeting and event guests. Participants work with one of the studio’s instructors to create a glass piece, which they can pick up a few days later or have shipped to their home.

Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Murano

"Cairns & Cocktails"

At Mission Point Hotel on Michigan’s Mackinac Island, attendees can work together to experience one of the region’s favorite pastimes—creating cairns, or small stacks of rocks—in a remote spot overlooking Lake Huron. Following the cairns creations, the group can create and sample custom cocktails made with items from the property’s “cocktail garden.”

Photo: Courtesy of Mission Point

Beignet-Making class

At the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, planners can arrange for culinary classes to make local favorites such as beignets.

Photo: Sam Hanna

Adult Coloring Books

Guests at Kimpton’s Taconic Hotel in Vermont can partake in adult coloring sessions or art lessons led by staff from the nearby Southern Vermont Art Center. The hotel also offers other activities such as team kayaking and canoeing on the Battenkill River and hikes using Manchester Woodcraft walking sticks.

Photo: Paul Gelsobello

Sailing Lessons

A new 22-slip marina at Gurney’s Newport Resort in Rhode Island is the starting point for group sailing lessons on Newport Harbor.

Photo: Courtesy of Gurney's Newport Resort & Marina

Beekeeping Lesson

The New York Hilton Midtown recently added 450,000 bees to its 16,000-square-foot green rooftop. Planners can arrange for a lesson in beekeeping with fourth generation beekeeper Andrew Coté and sampling of new menu items such as whipped ricotta cheese crostini with honeycomb.

Photo: Courtesy of New York Hilton Midtown

Canoe-Making

Polynesian explorers used canoes to travel along Hawaii’s shores. At Hilton Hawaiian Village, groups work together to build a canoe out of plastic and cardboard and then test it on the waters of the resort’s Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon.

Photo: Courtesy of Hilton Hawaiian Village

Bourbon-Infused Cooking Lessons

Kentucky produces more than 90 percent of the world’s bourbon. Groups that meet in Lexington can learn how to incorporate the spirit into meals at the “Everything is Better with Bourbon” cooking class led by Wild Thyme Cooking.

Photo: Courtesy of Wild Thyme Cooking

Salsa Lessons

Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort offers a variety of locally inspired teambuilding activities, including salsa dance classes on the hotel’s waterfront terrace and cooking classes focused on the flavors of the Baja region.

Photo: Courtesy of Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort

Hula Lessons

At Hilton Waikoloa Village, a resident kumu hula, or teacher of hula, can provide lessons to groups.

Photo: Courtesy Hilton of Waikoloa Village

Foraging Hike

Guides from Firelight Camps in New York’s Finger Lakes region can take guests on a foraging adventure through the property’s expansive acreage. After the hike, Firelight Camps co-founder and Food Network Star finalist Emma Frisch teaches participants how to use the ingredients they found to prepare a feast.

Photo: Courtesy of Firelight Camps